Recommend me a good South African red and a good port

[gingerp]

Ok, South African red, budget £15, I like Aussie Shiraz and strong but smooth Italian reds.
Port, £30, just getting into port, tried a half decent one, but I want to know what I can get for real money lol.
Convenient purchasing places would help.

[SVX]

South African red - you have to go a long long way to beat a good Pinotage.

I'd recommend Kannonkop (available from Majestic) for your budget, alternatively a Beyerskloof Reserve is a jolly good drop, both will make an appearance at GFaW....

[Bullett]

+1 on the Pinotage

I like this one Moreson Pinotage http://www.winedrop.co.uk/ShowDetails.asp?id=764

(Don't know the website I linked to, just the first one that came up)

[Wadeski]

La Motte, Meerlust all good.

[Mobile Chicane]

SVX said:

South African red - you have to go a long long way to beat a good Pinotage.

I'd recommend Kannonkop (available from Majestic) for your budget, alternatively a Beyerskloof Reserve is a jolly good drop, both will make an appearance at GFaW....

Yay! Certainly hope so!

I know very little about SA wines, but would like to become better acquainted with them.

[Carfolio]

Port: Allesverloren

A good red: Guardian's Peak Shiraz
Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmund

Not sure of the prices your way though...

[gingerp]

Just to clear up any confusion, the port doesn't have to be South African, probably best from Portugal lol.

[prand]

My wife bought me a bottle of 1970 Graham's Vintage port as a pressie for her having a baby (yes, she is great, but I suspect she is after an eternity ring). I had it with some friends the other night and it was a lovely, lovely tipple, smooth, sweet caramelly and full of flavour. You could find one for about £80 a bottle from a good wine merchant.

[Bebs]

A great bottle of port. I've had both Graham, Fonseca and Taylor 70 on many occasions. Fabulous.
OP have a flick through the auction catalogue of 'Straker Chadwick' Google is your friend. Auction this Saturday and there are quite a few decent ports. At around half retail price My bids are already in

prand said:

My wife bought me a bottle of 1970 Graham's Vintage port as a pressie for her having a baby (yes, she is great, but I suspect she is after an eternity ring). I had it with some friends the other night and it was a lovely, lovely tipple, smooth, sweet caramelly and full of flavour. You could find one for about £80 a bottle from a good wine merchant.

Edited by Bebs on Wednesday 21st April 16:33

[prand]

Bebs said:

A great bottle of port. I've had both Graham, Fonseca and Taylor 70 on many occasions. Fabulous.
OP have a flick through the auction catalogue of 'Straker Chadwick' Google is your friend. Auction this Saturday and there are quite a few decent ports. At around half retail price My bids are already in

prand said:

My wife bought me a bottle of 1970 Graham's Vintage port as a pressie for her having a baby (yes, she is great, but I suspect she is after an eternity ring). I had it with some friends the other night and it was a lovely, lovely tipple, smooth, sweet caramelly and full of flavour. You could find one for about £80 a bottle from a good wine merchant.

Edited by Bebs on Wednesday 21st April 16:33

1970 is a good one as apart from being a declared vintage, it's the year of my birth - I'm expecting a few more this year as it's my 40th birthday too!

And thanks for the heads up with this website - you've just shown me a new place to spend money!

Edited by prand on Wednesday 21st April 20:22

[Bebs]

Prand, good luck at the auction! You can pick up some great value wines this way
Just don't bid on my lots

[prand]

hmm, fancied a flutter on a mag of champagne and some 94/95 Rioja, not very high bids from me so not expecting anything really.

Do they tell you what the final price for stuff is or do you have to be registered/paid up for that info?

[AndySA]

I will second the Moreson Pinotage, bloody excelent stuff. (my wife normaly does not like pinotage and after tasting this blind instructed me to buy two cases immediatly, we were tasting on the estate last December)

also try Diemersdal Pinotage, any of the Hartenburg Shiraz's, Anura Shiraz, Glen Carlo Pinot Noir.

[gingerp]

Excellent information guys. I'll certainly look at the shiraz, as I'm quite a fan. Looking at all the reviews by people that are supposed to know (no offence), Kanoncop always seems to be rated very highly. So maybe I'll try this. My mum has always had Taylor's Port, but Graham's usually seems to come out better. Is this me or is it true? £70 a bit too much for me, was thinking more like £35, I am new to port after all.

[Beardy10]

I really like the Waterford Estate wines from SA. The Kevin Anrold Shiraz (named after the wine maker I think) is great as is there Cab Sauv, both are under your budget.

http://www.slurp.co.uk/red-wine/south-african-red-...

or

http://www.bbr.com/product-74774B-waterford-cabern...

I'd say the Cabernet Sauvignon for that price looks great value. Their top end wine goes for £50 a bottle.

[prand]

gingerp said:

Excellent information guys. I'll certainly look at the shiraz, as I'm quite a fan. Looking at all the reviews by people that are supposed to know (no offence), Kanoncop always seems to be rated very highly. So maybe I'll try this. My mum has always had Taylor's Port, but Graham's usually seems to come out better. Is this me or is it true? £70 a bit too much for me, was thinking more like £35, I am new to port after all.

I think Graham's is known to be at the sweetest end of the vintage port spectrum.

From Berry Bros website, they say the following about vintage port:

"It is generally acknowledged that Dow is the firmest, driest style of Port, and Graham the sweetest. Warre sits stylistically between the two, while Taylor is probably the most elegant. Croft and Smith Woodhouse are slightly earlier maturing, while the excellent value Gould Campbell is more backward."

... so there you go!

I can certainly recommend Taylor's single quinta - Quinta de Vargellas vintage port from Tescos, was a about £25 from memory. Lovely flavour, sweetness, depth and length. It needed decanting as there was a fair bit of sediment at the bottom, or else you'll discover most of it in your last glass!

[rscott]

I can recommend any of Oscar Quevedo's ports - http://quevedoportwine.com/ - he's a relatively new producer turning out some incredibly good stuff.

For a decent South African red at a silly price, try Veenwouden Classic - http://www.wine-boutique.co.uk/1999-2000-veenwoude... .

[Bebs]

prand said:

hmm, fancied a flutter on a mag of champagne and some 94/95 Rioja, not very high bids from me so not expecting anything really.

Do they tell you what the final price for stuff is or do you have to be registered/paid up for that info?

Just call them on Monday and get a price list. I just fax my bids to them normally.
Good luck